BioShock 2 Review - PC

Game Description:Return to the undersea city of Rapture, following the dramatic events of the first BioShock. Step into a Big Daddy suit with a rivet gun, drill and new plasmid powers at your disposal, as you fight to survive against the new "Big Sister" and a host of new freakish enemies, while you search for and protect the remaining Little Sisters. The game also features competitive multiplayer for the first time.

BioShock 2 Review

Rapture, Andrew Ryan's failed utopia under the sea, remains one of gaming's most compelling worlds to inhabit, and BioShock 2 does a great job of drawing you in and making you feel right at home. But while it certainly feels good to be back in Rapture and there is plenty to enjoy here, the game doesn't quite pack the same punch as the original.

The Pros

Rapture is as hauntingly gorgeous as ever

Tons of weapon and enemy variety

Hacking tool keeps gameplay flowing

Sound design is ridiculous

The Cons

Story structure = missed opportunity

Uses Rapture as a crutch too often

Multiplayer works but feels vestigial

Irrational Games set the bar incredibly high with its nightmarish, philosophy-riddled first-person shooter BioShock by creating one of the greatest settings of all time in Rapture, the twisted underwater utopia gone wrong, born from the mind of the ultimate champion of individual self-interest Andrew Ryan. The plasmid-infused gameplay of the first game was satisfying, but it was the world that kept driving you forward, making you want to see what lay just behind the next door.

In BioShock 2, developed away from Irrational’s Boston studio at 2K Marin, Rapture is still just as hauntingly gorgeous and stylistically stunning as ever, only now it’s under the control of an anti-individualist ideologue named Dr. Sophia Lamb. It was Lamb who helped spark the civil war that tore Rapture apart prior to the events of the first game. Helping her maintain control over the dying city, as well as giving her the means to achieve her own utopian goals, are the Big Sisters. As for the spliced-out citizens, they’ve become even more crazed and, in some cases, more monstrous over the years. In short, Rapture’s in a bad way.

Dive! Dive! Dive!

So where do you fit into all of this? Well, you play as the original Big Daddy codenamed “Delta.” After being separated from your Little Sister Eleanor, you are awoken after being in a coma of sorts for 10 years and tasked with reconnecting with Eleanor in order to save her, yourself and Rapture from Lamb’s corrupted ambitions.

On the surface, the story sounds intriguing enough, but unfortunately the surface is about as deep as the story goes. The most disappointing part though is that the story could have been an instant classic had it simply let you play through Delta’s story leading up to the coma-inducing moment shown at the beginning of the game, instead of simply showing the tail end of this story arc through a cutscene. The rest of the story follows a rather predictable path and comes to a mostly anticlimactic conclusion. Also, the characters just aren’t as gripping as the previous cast of Ryan, Atlas/Fontaine, Tenenbaum, etc. Having said that, the voice acting here is once again top notch and hearing some familiar voices again will instantly resonate with people who played the first game.

Now while BioShock 2 doesn’t contribute as strongly in the narrative department as it could have, the team at 2K Marin has made some fantastic gameplay improvements. Being able to duel-wield plasmids and weapons is a great addition as it adds tons of real-time variety to every single fight. Also, the new hacking tool, which allows you to remotely hack bots and turrets, keeps you engaged in the action at all times, as opposed to the first game’s water-flowing mini-game that interrupted the proceedings. Researching has also received a welcomed alteration; you no longer have to collect film to take pictures of enemies. Instead, you have access to a movie camera with unlimited film. Like the hacking tool, being able to just roll camera keeps the action flowing.

The new and slightly redesigned enemies also keep you from ever feeling like you have total control over fights, which adds a lot of tension to combat. It also makes harvesting battles -- free-for-alls that ensue once you place a Little Sister down to harvest Adam (Rapture’s biological currency) from splicer corpses -- joyously frenetic and tense. Later on, there are fights where you take on Tank-like brutes, Big Daddies and waves of wall-climbing Spider Splicers that are absolutely nutty. While the ramped up combat does give the game a decidedly different feel than the first game, it also effectively gets across just how much Rapture has changed since you last sloshed through its rotting corridors.

Speaking of which, Rapture is once again the real star of the show here. Not only do you get to venture to parts of the city that were only mentioned in the first game, you actually get to walk along the sea floor at certain points to move from one area to the next, which really drives home the immensity of Ryan’s creation by giving you a completely different perspective on it.

Individual vs. Collective

BioShock fans have been scratching their heads about the game’s multiplayer mode since it was first announced and while it certainly isn’t for everyone, I can tell you that it doesn’t feel tacked on in the least. Plus, the fact that it takes place during Rapture’s civil war and actually serves a narrative purpose is fantastic, as it throws you right in the middle of Rapture’s darkest time.

Of the game’s six modes, Capture the Sister (just CTF with a Little Sister in place of the flag and one team complete with a big daddy trying to protect it) was easily my favorite, because it is gut-wrenching when you hear the Little Sister scream after being snatched up by someone. It’s even more so when you do it yourself as she writhes in your arms and screams for you to let her go as you attempt to carry her back to your team’s “base.” It is disturbing, heart pounding, but also an absolute blast. There are a ton of gameplay challenges to complete as well (30 kills with a shotgun, kill someone using a geyser trap to crush him against the ceiling, etc.). Also, every weapon has a bonus perk slot and you get to use three different plasmids and two tonics, which means you won’t want for customization options.

Ultimately though, the multiplayer works better for people who don’t normally play multiplayer shooters. If you’re looking for an experience on par with top-tier online shooters, you’ll be disappointed. It’s not fair to call it a novelty, but the very nature of BioShock’s combat (specifically the combination of weapons and plasmids) turn things to mad frenzies of chaos that, while enjoyable, might not appeal to gamers looking for organization and ranking up as opposed to unbridled madness. Also, the maps aren’t all that conducive to multiplayer, especially sniping, since they are all interior maps (e.g. lots of walls, corners, balconies, other obstructions, etc.) so it makes it almost impossible to play any way other than close quarters. BioShock will always be about the single-player, story-driven experience and while the multiplayer is functional for the most part, it ends up feeling a bit unnecessary. It won’t win over the online shooter crowd and it’s a fun, but fleeting, curiosity for others.
Should You Kindly?

BioShock is one of those games with an immediately gripping story. Sadly, BioShock 2 rides on the coattails of the original a bit too much. I wish that the game opened by letting me wander around a pristine and pre-collapsed Rapture, because that would have instantly set the game apart from its predecessor and added so much to the franchise’s overall narrative. Even though the multiplayer “works,” it won’t make you forget about the single-player any time soon. It’s definitely a must-play, especially for BioShock fans, because it’s still a terrifying and intense ride, but if you go into it expecting it to blow your mind like the first one did, you might be reaching for the “De-disappoint” plasmid.

I'm getting the game far too late. Atleast a year since the original release. Fifteen bucks, so why not. I only played half of the first game (because of rental) and that had been a long time ago. So I was practically coming into Rapture without knowing what was going on. That being said, the game works. It tells the story beautifully and I disagree about the opening cutscene. Because I hadn't truly played the original, I didn't care about the civil war. In fact, I didn't know there had been one. If I was forced to play through that, I doubt I would be as interested. As a sequel, sure it may not live up to the predecessor, but as a stand alone game, I found it very enjoyable. It pains me that Rapture is finished, with Bioshock Infinite coming next. But with as detailed a world as this, who could not look forward to a Rapture in the Skies?

Don't get me wrong, Bioshock 2 was an incredibly enjoyable experience, but the story is as lacking as most will note. The real impact of your choices aren't felt until the very end, and the story is only satisfying if you give it the time to develop near the very, very end.

They pretty much took out all the things that made Bioshock, Bioshock. Andrew Ryan, a twist ending, frightening characters, and the feeling that YOU ARE GOING TO DIE at any second. Sure, it was cool playing as the Big Daddy, but even on hard difficulty there was no sense of danger. I do love the artwork, I love the multiplayer even if it has dark lighting, I loved fighting the big sisters, but Bioshock 2 did not come close to the same effect of the first Bioshock. I still love the franchize and I still will buy a Bioshock 3 if one comes out.

I loved the original BioShock and played it twice. Once for the evil ending and the second time for the good ending. It was fresh, twisted dark, and such an awesome game.

BioShock 2? Meh. Now don't get me wrong I loved it, but this one was just seriously lacking.

I don't know about you, but I did not get that same Rapture creepiness I got from the first game. The only time I was scared was when I was out of ammo, health, and there was a Big Sister hunting me down. This BioShock wasn't as dark or mysterious and slowly became predictable as you played it more.

The dual-wielding was sweet, but I really did not like the weapons/weapon customization in this game. (Though Winter Blast + Rocket Spear = fun!) There weren't really any new plasmids in this game which kinda made me sad. The only new one I liked was Scout(besides the bug that removed your plasmid hand). To me it was fun going around the corner to see who or what was waiting for me and then exploding it.

They could have done without the multi-player. I know it may seem like a popular part of the game industry, but not everyone likes it. I prefer playing by myself most times and just enjoy an epic story with multiple scenarios/endings for repeat value. Enough said.

The game is fun, but no where close to the original. Somewhere else besides Crapture would have been lovely though.

I personally believe this deserves a 5/5 the first one was amazing but all the characters who made it amazing like sander coen the crazy art character are gone so believed it was impossible to make bioshock 2 a sequal and good but they really managed to at leats make the story good after making a great game like number one it takes really skill to make the sequal almost as good I salute you 2k for your hard work on this game.

I enjoyed this one about as much as the first one, but I just enjoyed it in different ways. It wasn't quite as mysterious or haunting as the first one, but still had the same thrills of big daddy fights and battling through the hoards of mutated, lunatic citizens of rapture.

I appreciated some the much needed changes to the game such as hacking and health packs that keep the pace of game going, but there's something about dual wielding guns and plasmids at the same time that created a completely new vibe to the gameplay.

The story mode was great, but not quite as good as the first one's. But luckily the multiplayer makes up for that much. I look forward to the next game that takes place in Rapture. For as long as Rapture is standing, I fear the Bioshock series will never end.

i can't wait to get this game i just replayed bioshock 1 and loved it and fact you get to play as a big daddy makes it even better plus they throw in multiplayer what can be better than that since the fist time i seen the big daddy charge at me with the drill i wanted to do it myself the only complaint i had with the first game was that it never showed your characters face in game and he didn't talk i hope the fix that but other wise it was great i liked the feel of old weapons my next paycheck bioshock 2 is the first thing im getting 5/5 and another thing to the reviewer its a sequal it has to take somethings from the first game every sequal does i always read g4s reviews it dosen't always affect my game selections but it sure has saved me from making some bad video game choices

The game is fun but nowhere near as great as the first. The script has too much exposition dialogue, the production design is sloppy and misses the point of the original, and multiplayer is way way buggy. And why is it at the very first screen, if I select single player, it tells me I'm leaving multiplayer? How did that get through QA? In any case, I hope some DLC comes to the multiplayer... take us back to the original Rapture; not this Lamb and glowing coral everywhere.

After seeing the upgrades to the Dice Engine I have to say, you failed. Imma consumer I can say that. And now you have seen it typed.i would rub it in your face if it was a sand alone. story was killer. thank you so much for that. I hope to see Rapture again soon.

god it was 2 short i mean really... Im not sure if it took me longer 2 beat dantes inferno or this $120 this week and i feel cheated well guess i will trade em in next week.... the story was decent gameplay was awesome upgrading plasmids and guns actually helped this time. Y u gotta make me feel like i currupted my daughter cos i harvested a couple lil sisters not right. Felt so bad i let her kill me at the end the first time.... Multiplayer is decent nothing amazing bout it. i think the 4 out of 5 was a good score for it if the gameplay wasnt so good i would have gave it a 3 cos of the lack of time playing i mean really 8 hours every upgrade every plasmid everything all and all i was happy with it just wish there was more 2 keep me busy.... prob y im still sitting at my pc typing this. C if the game was longer u ppl wouldnt have 2 deal with my version of the review. Free time sucks

I have played through part of the campaign and am looking forward to the chaotic multiplayer. Honestly I don't think there is anything to say that the review hasn't already stated. Rarely would I yeild this but honestly the game is great with a lackluster story so far that I have encountered. I personally have no qualms with this and the gameplay allows the player to overlook the plot pretty easily.

Robot: Danger will robinson" danger will robinson fanboys are on the internets.Will robinson: Shut up you stupid robot! Robot: Must kill the robinson family."small child scream" Robot: I agree with this review the game need more meet on the bones.

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